Nick Wright has polarizing take on where Texans' CJ Stroud ranks among Top QBs
TOP OF THE CLASS?
04 June
Is CJ Stroud a Top 5 quarterback already? Composite Getty Image.
Texans QB CJ Stroud is causing quite a stir recently with his comments about the Top QBs in the league. Stroud is of the opinion that he's not only in the Top 5 after just one season, but he's also in the Top 3 behind only Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson respectively.
The rest of Stroud's Top 5 consists of No. 4 Dak Prescott and No. 5 Jalen Hurts. Stroud said that his list is based off of last season, which explains where Dak is ranked. Having Hurts at No. 5 in front of Josh Allen and Joe Burrow seems to have many people perplexed. Burrow being left off the list isn't all that shocking, since he missed a good portion of the season due to injury.
But Hurts had a down year in 2023, while Allen had another impressive season with 49 total touchdowns.
What does Nick Wright think?
Wright believes Stroud is already a Top 5 quarterback in the league, so this list isn't that far off in his opinion. His Top 4 would consist of Mahomes on his own tier, followed by Burrow, Stroud, and Allen in no particular order. Wright wouldn't commit to a fifth QB.
CJ over Lamar?
When asked which QB he would rather have going into 2024, Wright said he would take Stroud over the 2023 MVP Lamar Jackson moving forward. Strong words, but we like it!
Be sure to watch the video above as Wright makes his case for Stroud, and the guys debate who really deserves to be in the Top 5 moving forward.
NFL insiders hint at eye-opening future for Houston Texans offense
Dec 7, 2024, 2:38 pm
One of the nuggets that came out of Nick Caserio's press conference this week, was his thoughts on the job Bobby Slowik has done as an offensive coordinator. When asked if the team has considered sharing the offensive play calling, Caseiro responded with an emphatic, “absolutely not.”
Caserio went on to praise the job Slowik has done this year, and to say the team's struggles in the second half this season is due to execution.
This stance is consistent with what we've heard from Texans insiders that believe Slowik will be back next season. As much as many Texans fans believe a change at OC could help CJ Stroud, who's shown regression this year, it doesn't appear Slowik is going anywhere.
To be fair, most teams aren't looking to replace their coordinators when they're leading their division and marching toward the postseason for the second straight year.
Number crunching
When comparing Stroud's stats to last season, there is a clear dropoff in 2024. But a lot of that has to do with the addition of Joe Mixon, especially when it comes to touchdowns.
Mixon is third in the NFL with 11 rushing TDs, while Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary only combined for 6 over the entire 2023 season. One could argue the passing offense has regressed, but one could also argue the offense overall is more balanced.
Stroud is still Top 5 in passing yards, heading into this week's games. And even if we account for the bye week, Stroud will still be Top 10 after this week's slate of games.
The most concerning number to keep an eye on is sacks. Only one QB has been sacked more than Stroud, who's been sacked 41 times. CJ's protection has gotten better since Juice Scruggs was moved to guard, and Jarrett Patterson was inserted at center.
If Stroud starts getting hit again at a high level, that may be the one factor that could make the front office rethink their plans at coordinator. However, if the Texans do make a change, we expect them to address their o-line coach before any changes at OC.
Be sure to watch the video above for our full breakdown of the Texans offense, the coaching staff, and our thoughts on how the Azeez Al-Shaair suspension will impact the team.
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